Secrets
by GusCGC
Summary: New Orleans has more dark corners and souls than just the Shadow Man. When they cross paths with you, be sure to not lose sight of the light. Prequel of the movie. Reviews, please!
1. Stranger in the Night

Author´s Note: Coudn´t resist myself and here´s a small fic that I dedicate to my good friend Shogun and the movie of The Princess and the Frog. We can place it a little after the opening scene of the film where Tiana gets scared by the frog but first, we go to the ending of the film so that she can tell us by herself. Lyrics are mine.

Let´s go!

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**1. Stranger in the Night**

The opening of Tiana´s Palace is the front page of all New Orleans and Tiana herself is enjoying these days with Naveen. Since Facilier disappear, the French Quarter has gone quiet and no shadow lurks in its corners. The day after the opening, they visited Mama Odie who is more than glad of the outcome of events and the only thing they all miss is poor Ray who is now shining with his dear Evangeline above.

Today, Naveen´s brother is staying with the couple and enjoys himself hearing Louis and his trumpet. Ralphie has come to adore the gator, who keeps an eye on him while Tiana and the boy´s brother deal with the business. Lottie comes almost each day and she seems to not have change her mind about her Prince Charming.

"Here you are, sweet heart" Tiana brings the pair some fresh beignets. "Are you two having fun?"

"Yeah!" the kid nods.

"Little breeches here has some talent" smiles Louis.

"That is great to hear" she spots Big Daddy coming in. Tiana serves him his favourite beignets and when she´s done, comes back to the boy.

"And ye know what? I thought I saw a talkin' cat this morning"

"Talking cat?"

"It was sitting outside. It was big and black, with a white spot in his chest and big yellow eyes" Ralphie describes making many gestures. The gator snickers but Tia seems interested. "And then, he spoke..."

"And what did he say?"

"Feed me" says Louis and the three laugh out loud.

"No, really"

"It was strange, not English or French. It was like Te boy spera"

"What?" the gator wrinkles his muzzle. "Maybe you mean 'The boy is better'" again he laughs.

"No, no. It was 'Te voy a spere or spera"

"Te voy a esperar" says Tiana.

"Yeah, that´s it. But how did you know?" Ralphie is confused.

"Because I used to know that cat and he told me that"

"Really?" now that´s interesting.

"Yes and he is a good friend. I thought he was no longer here but, I´m glad that you saw him"

"And how did you meet him?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Pleease" Ralphie and Louis give their best puppy eyes.

"Well..."

"Hey, what are you three muttering?" Naveen comes close.

"We were talking about a friend she once had" says the boy.

"A friend?"

"A cat that used to live in the cemetery" explains Tiana.

"Creepy" the gator and the boy exchange glances.

"And he was your friend? Faldi Faldonza!" her husband rises his eyebrows.

"We met when I was little and he introduced me to his job in the cemetery with a mute parrot called Berzonni"

"A mute parrot? Now you´re really makin up a story"

"Course not. It was also the first time I met the Shadow Man"

"Ok, if ye say so"

"And he say that of..."

"Te voy a esperar. Yes, he did" smiles Tiana. "I can tell you the story but only if you two help me clean this evening"

"Okey" Ralphie nods.

"I´m warning ye, this story has ghost and other strange creatures"

"Uh, then leave it for another time, hu?" Louis smiles not hiding his fear.

"No, c´mon. Pleease. I want to hear it" pleads the boy. "I want to know who that cat is"

"Louis?" the woman glances at the gator.

"Ouh, all right. I too wanna know"

"Perhaps you can change the mood with that story, yes?" smiles Naveen and Tiana gets ready to start while the customers look at her. "If it has ghosts, then it has adventure"

"Lots of" she smiles and sits down. "I must say that I give that poor cat some work that night. He was responsible of me and all I gave him were headaches"

"That really sounds like her" whispers Naveen making Ralphie smile.

"Back in those days, there were two stories round my neighbourhood. One was the Shadowman and the other was El Diablo Gato"

"The what?"

"The Demon Cat or Le Diable Chat. A creature who lurked around the cemetery and was able to command nameless creatures from the dark and walked the streets searching for souls to steal"

"Oh, brother" Louis covers his eyes.

"Adults used those two stories so we came back before dawn and stayed away from the cemetery"

"And obviously, Tiana did both things" speaks Naveen.

"Mind? I´m trying to tell a story here"

"Ok, ok. Sorry"

"So that Diablo was the cat you met?" says Ralph.

"Yes, in a certain way. But I didn´t just walk into the cemetery like Mr. Knows It All says" this makes the audience snicker. "It was more complicated than that. And it all started a few days before Christmas"

"Wait, I remember that day..." Eudora thinks it through. "You were still with the frog thing" this makes Naveen rise an eyebrow at his wife. "She kept on saying that she was never going to kiss a frog and got a bit scared each time she saw one" this produces a few laughs.

"Yes, mom. Anyway, the lady next door kept on talkin bout Gato Diablo"

"It´s true. She said he had been seen a lot those days"

"And that was weird" says Tiana.

"Why?" Ralph blinks in awe.

"Cuz this cat is rare and hardly leaves the cemetery" explains Eudora.

"So, he was a lot in the streets then" the child thinks out loud.

"Yes and not by chance" Tiana smiles.

"Now I smell that the Shadow Man had something to do with that" Eudora deduces from what her daughter had said.

"Yes, mom. Good guess. But people thought it was because he was after more human souls and it was then when the story started"

"Poor cat. If he´s black, then people were surely scared of him" says Ralphie and Tiana moves to his side.

"Yes, but even if people were afraid of him, he knew what he had to do and that is a lesson I will never forget" and so the story begins.

"_I have dream bout this day,_

_For so long, for you, darling._

_As the world turns around,_

_We stop it right at our door..._

_Let it happen, let it fly,_

_Let me take you out of this city,_

_So you can really see the stars shining._

_It is just us, the world and the night._

_Go say how you´re feeling..._

_Been out in the pouring rain, out in the sun_

_Searching for that day hidden in the dark._

_If I dreamed, that made me stronger;_

_If I smile, I shall shone brighter._

_Thus I give you my heart, if you still want it..._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Te voy a esperar (x2)_

_Out of time, out of sun, I´ll be waiting._

_When the world´s over, I´ll be there for you._

_When life seems over, then I´ll be waiting._

_Te voy a esperar. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. (x2)_

_I keep running up ahead,_

_I keep on looking for paradise._

_You gave strength,_

_You took me into the light._

_Been out in the pouring rain, out in the sun_

_Searching for that day hidden in the dark._

_If I dreamed, that made me stronger;_

_If I smile, I shall shone brighter._

_Thus I give you my heart, if you still want it..._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Te voy a esperar. (x2)_

_I´ll wait for you, I´ll be there for you_

_And for you I will fight, I will soar,_

_We shall finally take down the sun._

_No, no, no, no, no. Don´t forget me, take me..._

_Te voy a esperar. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. (x4)_

_Te voy a esperar..._"

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A nice start for one peculiar story.

I really hope that you like it.

A tip from the hat from me, guys!

Next Stop: Beware of the Cat


	2. Beware of the Cat

Author´s Note: If you find any mistakes on this one is because I´m so over happy that I can hardly control what I write. I´m going to publish my first book, YAY! Oh, I must thank you guys cuz you have helped me a bunch along these years and I can finally say that famous line of "The Game´s Afoot, Watson!" XD Now, I´m really glad this story comes out so well! Oh, and for the record, my favourite character in PATF is Facilier, by far! Gotta love that guy! I really wanted a big fight between him and Oddie in the Mardi Gras but no. Oh, well. I still got the fanfics XD.

Let´s go!

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**2. Beware of the Cat**

_Saturday 16__th__ November, 1912_

Tiana was still very crossed about what had happened with the frog but she didn´t complained when her mother wanted to go downtown to buy things for Lottie´s new dress. The lady next door looked specially freaked out that day, she said that the Diablo Gato was lurking in town and so, children should avoid the streets until he was gone.

The little girl did not understand. Who was this character? She asked the lady who immediately tried to convince Eudora to not take Tiana to the main streets and much less, near the cemetery.

"What´s the Gato?" she asked.

"It is a demon who looks like a cat and as black as coal. He can imitate a human´s voice, summon creatures from the dark and hunts for souls" she said in a very concerned tone*. "So, he´s as bad as the Shadow Man?"

"Yes, child"

"Nonsense" spoke Eudora. "C´mon, baby cakes. We got shoppin to do"

"But..."

"C´mon" they boarded the tram. "Now, I want you to not fear this Diablo Gato, understood?"

"But why, mamma?"

"Because it is just a misunderstandin' "

"I don´t understand"

"Tia, they are scared just because someone has been seein a black cat 'round the graves but that´s all. Jess told me that´s stupid cuz cats are good"

"They are?"

"They can see ghosts and protect us from them. This Diablo Gato or whatever is just some story"

"And the Shadow Man?"

"Tiana" her mother gave her a look. "He is real for sure but still" they reached the main streets and walked pass Jessie´s bar: The Lovers of the Arctic Circle, or known by all as the North Star. "G'mornin, Jess"

"Morning, girls. Whatcha doing?" the young woman had a New York accent that tickles and that Tiana loves. She was a bit short but very pretty with her dark hair, pinky skin and gentle voice always full of stories. Tia had always wondered where did she learned all of them and in such short time as she was less than thirty years old.

"Goin' shop" answered the little girl.

"No kiddin'. Well then, enjoy the walk"

"Say, Jess. Do you know any Diablo Gato?"

"Ye mean the gato of the cemetery that they say hunts souls?" the woman smiled when Tia nodded vigorously. "Not a word. And even if I did, is good to have a cat in the so-called City of the Dead**" she snickered. "Back home, there was always one. Momma told me that they kept bad spirits away"

"But Celia said that Gato was bad"

"Dog poo! Just because is big, black and with a white spot on his chest does not mean that he has the devil dancing on his sandbox" this comment made Tia giggle. "Now go and have fun, ma little rose. Those who don´t sing this life out, will die in the most terrible silence" a meow was heard and they saw some cats inside the bar. "They give me company and good luck"

"Really?"

"Jup. They say that if you have a blue-eyed cat in your business, you´ll be lucky for ever more"

"Wow"

"Tia, we gotta go" said Eudora, a bit sad to cut such scene.

"Oh, yes. Later, Jess" they said goodbye.

"Bye, Tia! Gotta love that little rascal" the woman snickered and went back to her customers. When she was about to start one of her stories, she saw a shadow following Tiana and her mother and so, decided to do something about it.

Once at the shop, Tiana glanced at the beautiful pieces of cloth and tried to imagine the many dresses that could be made out of them. She was so amazed that she did not noticed that someone was watching her closely, very closely. Doctor Facilier, the Shadow Man himself, had been all morning looking for preys and he had finally laid his eyes on the little girl. Now that was an easy target and a wonderful gift for his "Friends".

When Tia finally realized that the man was watching her, they heard a loud snarl. There was a big cat sitting on a balcony and glancing at Facilier with his amber eyes burning with fury. The girl noticed at once that it was all black except for a white star-shaped spot on his chest. She immediately thought about the Diablo Gato but the feline was just focused in hissing at Facilier who deeply frowned. The cat kept on snarling and hissing until something about the animal catched the man´s attention and the doctor retreated as quickly as he could. Tia was obviously scared but when Facilier was gone, the cat put his tail as a mark question and tilted his head to one side in a friendly manner towards the child.

Why was he doing that? Was he the diablo gato or not?

Tiana glanced at the feline who gave out an odd smile before walking away. She didn´t know cats could smile.

"Tiana!" her mother called and they both left the shop. Eudora still had some shopping to do so they both walked down the streets. The little girl saw through one of the avenues, the cemetery´s black iron fence. She immediately wondered about the cat on the roof but before she could come up with a question for her mother, they heard a car horn. Eli La Bouff and Charlotte were driving their way. "G'mornin, monsieur"

"Morning, Eudora. Morning, Tiana. Busy day, hu?" greeted the man.

"Just a few things to do"

"Well then, we´re even" smiled Eli.

"Oh, Tia, Tia. You ain´t gonna believe this" said Lottie.

"What?"

"Tell her, Big Daddy. Tell her!"

"Oh, yes. Uuh..."

"We´re gonna have a party!" yelled the blondie.

"A party?"

"Yes. At my state, tomorrow evening"

"There´ll be music and food and..." Lottie kept on interrupting.

"Charlotte, enough" grumbled her father. "It is a special occasion. I have invited a few government friends and I was thinking that perhaps James would like to be there as my special chef of the night"

"Really? Oh, thank you so much, monsieur La Bouff"

"Is just one evening but am sure that with your help it will be unforgettable. Even Jess is going to bring her special Mist Juice"

"Then, we´ll be there first thin tomorrow"

"Thanks, Eudora" Eli smiled and added as a whisper. "Besides, if Tiana is around, Lottie would be easier to handle" this made the woman smile. "See you girls tomorrow"

"Bye, Tia!"

"Bye, Lottie" they watched them drive away.

"Well, at least your daddy will have some work after all" they walked again.

"Mamma"

"Hm? What is it, baby cakes?"

"Why are cemeteries called city of de dead?"

"Cuz they look like cities. And Tia, don´t start again with the Gato"

"Is just that..." the girl told her the whole thing. When she was finished, Eudora kneeled and gently grabbed her daughter´s shoulders.

"Tia, do ye have any idea of who that man was?" the child shook her head. "Tha'was the Shadow Man" the very thought almost made her cry. "If that cat hadn´t scared' im away, he could have snatched ye. He saved your life"

"But how did the cat know?"

"I dunno, sweet heart. But cats can see bad intentions, tell ya that" they resumed their walk. "Now, I want ye to promise me somethin"

"Wha?"

"That ye won´t tell daddy bout this"

"Why?"

"Cuz he´s already too worried, love. So this will be our secret. Deal?"

"Deal" they shaked hands and walked towards the grocery store while a soft male voice rang across the streets in a gentle guitar tune.

"_Endless years I saw my mother_

_Working her heart out and arriving late_

_Day after day, month after month._

_Each night, lying in my bed,_

_I could feel her watching my door._

_She changed the joy of mine for food,_

_For having daily food._

_I have seen my olds chasing out El Dorado,_

_I saw them fighting and losing in their struggle._

_Everything worth their lives is now long ago,_

_Long running their search of El Dorado._

_I saw my father crashing against the tides,_

_Marooned in the whirlwinds of hard times._

_He had no second chance._

_Always coming home with cuts in hands_

_From making steel wardrobes to stand._

_He had no second chance,_

_No second chance._

_I have seen my olds chasing out El Dorado,_

_I saw them fighting and losing in their struggle._

_Everything worth their lives is now long ago,_

_Long running their search of El Dorado._

_I decided to find my answers on my own,_

_And twenty years later, I´m still a few got._

_Life goes on and so do I._

_They say time is never empty-handed,_

_And so did my early mistakes started._

_But I stood alone to learn,_

_And so it was that I saw them fall,_

_I saw my olds fall down._

_I have seen my olds chasing out El Dorado,_

_I saw them fighting and losing in their struggle._

_Everything worth their lives is now long ago,_

_Long running their search of El Dorado._

_(Repeat to the end)_"

Tiana heared the tune and somehow, the words came to her ears. She wondered what did they mean and she asked her mother. Eudora was amazed that she knew about El Dorado but gladly told her about the mythical golden city that so many had searched through the centuries and died doing so.

The girl wondered then a little bit more but it is only now as she tells this story that she comes to understand what the musician wanted to say. He was talking about enjoying the people and the things we´ve got instead of searching for El Dorado, for the easy richness and happiness. And perhaps, whoever the singer was, he knew that she would need those words sooner or later.

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*Author´s note from Wikipedia: The people of the Scottish Highlands did not trust the Cat Sìth, the King of Cats. They believed that it could steal a person's soul before it was claimed by the Gods by passing over a corpse before burial; therefore watches called the Feill Fadalach (Late Wake) were performed night and day to keep the Cat Sìth away from a corpse before burial. This myth combined with the black cat´s myth is what creates this Diablo Gato

**In New Orleans, the cemeteries are called like that. The story would take place in St. Louis Cemetery, the most important one and located near the French Quarter.

Lyrics belong to the wonderful Spanish rock band "Revolver" and their song Eldorado, that describes the idea of the search of happiness. Thank you so much.

Next stop: Buried in the Night


	3. Buried in the Night

Author´s Note: Going easy over the bend, lads. We start nice before heading into the flames. So, let´s go and see!

Lyrics are from Drumming Song by Florence & The Machine. Enjoy!

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**3. Buried in the Night**

Once at home, after a long afternoon in the city, Eudora and Tiana made their way back into their neighbourhood. The empty kitchen told them at once that James hadn´t arrive so Eudora bathed her child and sat down to make Lottie´s new dress while Tiana was gathering the ingredients for that day´s dinner. The moon shined over as time walked away with James' arrival and the news to tell. Tia could tell that her daddy was happy to have a request like that but something seemed wrong, a detail she couldn´t figure out but definitely there and that feeling wasn´t pleasing.

When she lied on her bed, the little girl closed her eyes just to escape it but the voices of her parents were still there. Eudora was happy about having some help from Eli but James didn´t want any help, or mercy as he put it. Tia waited a little longer until silence was finally there and then, she got up. She had to do something so they could finally have their restaurant. But what?

"Tianaa..." said a smooth voice out of the blue. "Tianaa" it said again. Who was that? Was it the Shadow Man? "Tiana" it came from outside. The girl glanced outside but saw no one. Was she dreaming? Sitting on her thighs, she tried to look a bit more further but again the empty street greeted her sight. It came to her then that the cat she saw at the shop had quite a big grin. Was that even normal? Leaning on the window sill, for a second she feared meeting another frog but all was still and quiet. Tiana spotted then a strange large shadow moving through the trees but that was all she could see as a few seconds later, a hand was clamped in her mouth and the girl knew no more.

_**Few Hours Before**_

Facilier was dog tired. For two years, he had worked hard on his reputation and now that he had a place to hide, nothing stood in his way, except maybe Odie but just on rare occasions. That day however, he was exhausted and although he had been pretty succesful on the soul harvesting, he couldn´t take it any more. The times were strange and so, many desperate souls came looking for his aid. And that was a gift, all must be said, but that was beginning to drain him in a peculiar way. No matter how many souls he offered to the Friends, they never seemed please and what was worse, they kept on asking for more. And during the last few days, he had narrowly escaped the Klan but that was too much for him. He actually could feel it by the fact that that little girl had been able to escape him and his exhaustion. The sun was beginning to set and all Facilier wanted was his bed. No experiments or whatever that night. His shadow kept on slithering and moving through the place but even such creature was drained out. And so, once he was settled down, he forgot about everyone and everything.

Or at least, for a certain amount of time.

_Are you ready?_

A soft drumming sound began to play in the dark and the masks hanging in the wall came to life. They knew about Facilier´s little protection, the red brick dust laid around his bed to prevent intruders that meant him harm was his only barrier between them and the doctor but enough to help the man get some sleep from time to time. The drums kept on playing a bit louder, trying to wake him up but no use.

"_I run to the river and dive straight in_

_I pray that the water will drown out the din_

_But as the water fills my mouth_

_It couldn't wash the echoes out_

_But as the water fills my mouth_

_It couldn't wash the echoes out_

_I swallow the sound and it swallows me whole_

_Till there's nothing left inside my soul_

_As empty as that beating drum_

_But the sound has just begun_"

_Are you ready?_

_Are you reeaaaady?_

Facilier squirmed a little in his sleep but did not wake up until he began to hear the screech and spitting of the Friends. They were awake, more than awake and that really pissed off the man. But there was little he could do about it. The doctor lighted his candles and prepared his circle before addressing Papa Legba Atibon, the keeper of the World of the Loa and the Human´s, who was represented on his wall by the biggest mask there was.

"Friends. My dear and delightful comrades, what is it that I can do for y'all?" he tried to hide his tiredness. "Today´s been a wonderful harvest so y'all can be proud" a big smirk appeared on his face but Legba didn´t seem happy.

**You let the girl escape**_._ The loa´s voice rang on his head with anger and Facilier swallowed hard.

"It was just a pup. We´ll catch her soon"

**We want that soul.**

"Uh, n'why exactly?" the doctor blinked.

**She´s trouble.**

"Trouble? Tha'squirt´s trouble?" Facilier held a laugh.

**Don´t you dare laugh at us.**

"Never. But please, tell me. What should we fear of that tyke?"

**She will be one day a problem. Specially for you. We need to get rid of her**.

"Wait. Y'all mean that I should have gotten tha'bratt cuz..." the witch doctor went thoughtful.

**That girl might destroy you one day.** This words made the man go pale. **And can be a problem to us, so we don´t know why aren´t you out there catchin'her.** Legba was really mad at him.

"I heard you" he sighed. The doctor went back to his thoughts. He was tired, too exhausted but he had to do something about the little tyke if he wanted his plans to go his way. But where...? Papa Atibon seemed to read his thoughts and showed him the home of Tiana. The little girl did little effect on the doctor but when it came to James and his dream, Facilier took some interest on it. Part of it was sympathy as he had also known the feeling of not getting your dreams come true and fighting the big honchos and losing but the doctor snapped out of it pretty quickly. Tiana´s dedication to James could be his deck card to win the game and that made him grin. When the image changed to Eudora, the man´s smile dropped. He had seen the woman around town a few times and he knew that there was no point in denying that his heart lusted for those beautiful eyes but again, he kept that to himself and glance to Legba. "Understood. But unless y'all have something to wake me up and ready to take over, we might have a slight problem" it was true, Facilier had to lean on his cane so that his legs didn´t gave out. The masks glanced at each other and then to Atibon who snorted. He never gave things for free but they had very little time. If Cait Sìth was in town, they couldn´t act as always or the cat would notice. They didn´t actually trust Facilier but something had to be done about it, but how? The mission was for a shadow, not a human, but the doctor was needed. Then an idea crossed Atibon´s mind. The mask opened his large mouth and a large cloud of purple smoke engulfed Facilier. At first, the man was taken a bit by surprise and the sudden power that claimed his body and crashed against him made him scream in pain but little by little, Facilier came to ease and shivered more with pleasure. When the man had stopped screaming, Legba let a small black shadow leave his mouth and into the doctor´s body. The bokor´s shade saw this but couldn´t do a thing since the loa were keeping him at bay. Once it was done, Facilier felt plenty of life and as his inner parts were about to burst, he was ready for the task ahead. "Now we're cookin. I shall bring y'all forth the child" the man grinned. A sudden pang of pain crossed his face as he felt a small source of pain located somewhere in his shoulders but the doctor retained his poker face.

**Meet us at the cemetery with the girl.**

"Why not here?"

**Just do as told.**

"Very well. I shall bring her there" Facilier nodded and the Friends went back to their still façade. "Now that´s startin' the week with me good feet" he snorted. "Shadow!" the doctor glanced at his shade who seemed very scared about something. "What´s gotten into y'all? We have a bratt to catch. C´mon" after some doubt, the shadow followed his master who walked towards the door. The pang of pain came back but this time it was more itchy than anything so he scratched himself, not noticing the small little scales appearing on his shoulder that felt when he passed his fingers. Atibon did saw them and so did Shadow, who cowared even more but followed Facilier in hopes of preventing whatever was going to happen.

After some walk, they reached the neighbourhood just in time to see the quarrel between James and Eudora. Facilier smiled to himself. This was going to be too easy! The nagging itch was still there but he cared very little as he waited for the couple to fall asleep. It was very easy to locate Tiana´s window. The witch doctor felt confident. It would only take seconds to do this. When he was about to grab the girl, the man hear a soft and smooth voice floating in the wind. Male, no doubt, but from who? The pain increased as if part of him was scared of that voice but Facilier did not change his mind about it. It had to be now! He jumped to get Tiana but much to his dismay, she was gone! Vanished into the thin air! He glanced at his shadow in horror but it was as clueless as him. A sudden sound of steps catched his ears and before he could react, Eudora and James came into the room. When they saw the empty bed and Facilier, hell broke loose.

"Oh, god" Eudora covered her mouth. "Tiana"

"I... I" the witch doctor was out of words.

"Where is she? WHERE IS SHE!?" James was about to jump to Facilier´s neck. "What have ye done to her, you skinny bastard!?"

"I...I" for once, his wit seemed to have flee and he was alone against the rage of the couple so Facilier did the first thing he could come up with, he vanished into the night while the roars of James woke up the whole neighbourhood. The witch doctor reappeared a few streets from there, totally pale and breathless. Someone had taken the girl before him, but who?

**Where is she? **the voice of Papa Legba Atibon rang through his mind.

"I dunno. She was right there n´then, she was gone" he gritted his teeth. "I did nothin'wrong" the pain increased. Atibon went quiet for a few seconds.

**He´s hunting.**

"Who?" Facilier panted.

**The Wolf. Abra...**

"..." that name was not new to him. If Abra was hunting, that could be bad. The black wolf had always wanted Facilier´s head and for sure, had heard about his plan. He had to hurry. "Where is he now?"

**St. Louis Cemetery.**

The witch doctor went quiet. Abra had went where he was appointed with the loa but why? A trap? Facilier bit his lip and started to walk again, a bit more faster, towards the graveyard when he noticed that his shadow was a few steps from him.

"What´s with y'all tonight? C´mon!" he barked. Shadow was only afraid of two things: the Friends and direct light but then, why was now he cowering like that? Then it came to him. Shadow was afraid of the doctor himself, of his master. But why? "C'mon. We better get there sssoon" he tried again but it remained a few steps behind. "Oh, all right! Sssuit yerself!" he started to walk. The shadow sighed in silence and looked at his master´s right hand, that was growing very small black scales and whose voice was beginning to sound strange. Something was up, and it wasn´t good.

* * *

Good chapter.

Who is this Abra? And why is he heading for the graveyard?

Are the loa scared of him? And why don´t they like Cait?

Next Stop: Midnight´s Stroke


	4. Midnight s Stroke

Author´s Note: I´m going to redone this one because I´m not entirely satisfied with it and it would be a shame. It´s a good story and I hope I can make it go on with ease. So, here we go!

* * *

**4. Midnight´s Stroke**

A cold breeze ran past her, making Tiana shiver. It took a few minutes before she realized that she was lying in a stony ground with several grass spots growing in between, a bit wet nevertheless and as cold and dark as hell. The poor girl quickly recognized the place and whimpered. She was in the cemetery, surrounded by graves, in the middle of the night and probably under the power of the Shadow Man.

But it was so cold in there, it felt like if she was in the Pole or somewhere else worse. Why was it so freezing hell in that place?

A voice sang in the wind while Tiana looked frantically for the exit.

"_We´re the outcast,_

_The never-wanted... _

_Men and women alike_

_In the dark of night._

_O Lady, hear thus ..._

_This we plead to you_

_Asilo, Asilo .._

_We are more than millions... _

_The people of Dust..._

_And Court of Blood... _

_And Souls of Oblivion.._

_And Children of Time..._

_That shall forever cry _

_To you_

_To you.._."

The poor thing shivered, she just wanted to go home. Mum, Dad... Anyone, please. Tiana felt as she was about to fell dead in that place as the song went on around her. But she couldn´t just give up. Never! Daddy had taught her to always stand up. Tiana rose up and tried to see who was singing, but instead of that, she began to saw strangers creatures coming from every little corner of the cemetery to join in the song and so little by little, the graveyard began to come to life.

"_We are strangers.._

_The clandestini .._

_Ones that live in mist_

_And sleep in hell._

_O Lady, please hear.._

_Hear our pray... _

_Asilo Asilo!_

_We are the world´s shadow,_

_Always below the city.. _

_You, friend, you see? _

_Men was here and gone,_

_But forgot us, left us... _

_And won´t return,_

_But it will start .._

_From here_!"

Tiana finally saw the owner of the voice as the church´s bells began to ring the stroke of midnight and the little girl remembered then that it was when the dark creatures were more powerful. She was trapped! And that man who was singing, who was he? Was he the Shadow Man? The shivers down her spine became stronger and she felt on her knees, feeling her breathing more swallowed and her strength leaving her.

"_We´re the outcast,_

_The never-wanted... _

_Men and women alike_

_In the dark of night._

_Trapped in the hole_

_To shout and win the soul_

_But we never get anything,_

_As we lose nothing._

_Never shall be never,_

_Never to the rising sun._

_Nothing we do have_

_As we are invisible,_

_For the world, brother,_

_We are no one._

_We are family and breed,_

_Hate and bleed._

_We´re the outcast,_

_The never-wanted... _

_The never-taken_

_And always hated_."

Tiana tried to stay away from the inhabitants of the graveyard but they quickly put their eyes on the intruder. They were not used to having the living in their home except for the Shadow Man, who often came to make the skeletons dance or to disturb their peace, something they strongly dislike. Tia swallowed hard her strange dizziness and walked to the place from where the music came from.

"_We are strangers.._

_The clandestini .._

_Ones that live in mist_

_And sleep in hell._

_O Lady, please hear.._

_Hear our pray... _

_Asilo Asilo!_

_We´re the outcast,_

_The never-wanted... _

_Men and women alike_

_In the dark of night._

_O Lady, hear thus ..._

_This we plead to you_

_Asilo, Asilo..._

_Asilo, Asilo_!"

Finally, the little girl could see the man. It was tall, quite slim but not as much as the Shadow Man. His hair was red like fire and he was wearing a dark suit with silver ornaments that made him look like a knight of the old times but in the 20th Century and with a shining scar in one of his eyes. He seemed pretty mysterious and the inhabitants of the graveyard sat near him and treated him like a king. When the man noticed that Tiana was looking, he smiled. Seeing that she was a bit uncomfortable with his attire, he snapped his fingers and it quickly changed into one more similar to Facilier´s, except for the stripped shirt and his skull mask that shone with a smile.

"Dear one, welcome to my kingdom" he bowed gently. Tiana noticed then that his flesh had vanished into the thin air and all that remained was bones but something in voice told her that he meant her no harm. "My name´s Abra, but I have as many names as raindrops can fall. You must be Tiana"

"Yes, sir" she nodded.

"Don´t be afraid of my friends. They won´t hurt you since you´re my guest" he gently smiled.

"I don´t feel so good" her vision was becoming a blur.

"That is because this is the hour of the dead, my dear. You are from the living, you shouldn´t be here for too long"

"I just wanna go home"

"So, I presume. But to do so, you must find the Gato Diablo"

"Bu' why?" the poor thing went pale.

"I have a little business tonight with an 'old friend' and for that reason, I brought you here. Cuz he´s looking for ye" Tiana didn´t seemed to understand the concept that she was being used as a bait. But perhaps, it was better that way.

"For me?"

"That´s right. And it ain´t your parents, little one, so be warned. There are many dangerous beings in the night and I wouldn´t like you to get hurt or worse. So find Gato as fast as you can"

"N' where´s he?"

"Not far from here. He is hunting shadows so he can´t be far"

"Shadows?" didn´t that cat chase down human souls?

"That´s right. Gato´s job is to make sure that no shadow lurks around town" had he read her thoughts?

"So I just got to find´im?"

"Exactly! Girl, you surely are sharp! Smart as paint, yes you are!" he showed a toothy grin.

"But I can´t go alone"

"Why not?"

"Am scared" it was true. "What if the Shadow Man gets me?"

"No, no, darlin'. You´re a brave little missy"

"But..."

"Ye won´t be lone for long. I promise" he smiled and Tiana finally made up her mind. "That a girl. Now, if you follow that street, you will surely find him"

"OK. Thank'u, Mr. Abra" she started to walk away.

"No, dear. Thank YOU" the man smiled and went back to his modern appearance.

"Why not keep her until Facilier shows up, boss?" asked his minions.

"Oh, he´ll be here in less than five minutes so do not worry" he sat down. All was going according to the plan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Facilier was pretty pissed off.

Not only the pain was increasing but his Friends were now doing their own plans. Legba didn´t hit around the bush when he reached the graveyard´s fence and they gave the man one of those weird visions.

**The girl is important, Facilier. But not as much as fighting off Abra or that hair ball.**

"Y'all say that cuz y'all scared" he stood in that dark void facing Atibon´s mask.

**Cait rules the Spirit World and is aware of our plans. So, while you go play hide and seek with that girl, we shall see into this.**

"Now, listen here. Y'all told me that the tyke was the problem!"

**Don´t you dare argue with us, Facilier!**

"Am headin' for a trap and y'all don´t care"

**Do as told, Doctor, if you want to keep your skin and soul in place.**

"What do y'all mean?" he blinked.

**You do as told and perhaps, the prize would be already paid**. And with these words, the Doctor found himself back into his body. He didn´t like it one bit. Legba was not telling him something and that couldn´t be good. The graveyard was as cold as hell but he quickly found Abra sitting on a grave stone and smirking at him.

"Legba is not a charming fellow, tell you that" Abra ignored Facilier´s glare. "When they want to burn a house, they don´t care if someone´s in. And you know what? It´s quite ironic for someone who lives from souls to be so careless about getting his skin burnt"

"As charmin' as always" the doctor knew that Abra was no hero. The Rainman was mostly a villain like him but feared by so many that he moved from one side of the board to the other whenever he wanted. "Y'all shall run for it"

"And then what? You think you can come here, find the girl and get your dear Friends go all merry while I just sit n'watch? I think not" the man snarled and his shadow stood up as a giant one-eyed wolf. "Ye´ve been in MY graveyard and in my territory a lot of times, doc, too many times. Is time to pay the rent!" Facilier answered striking some magic at the man but in just a wink, he had disappeared. The doctor looked around. He couldn´t have just... Ugh! The pain was becoming too much to bear and his shadow was stepping far from him. Before he had the time to call for it, the wolf got hold of him and pinned him against the ground. It was then when Facilier noticed the scales and realized that the shadows had tricked him. Mamma Odie had once warned him that Legba had ways to turn his human dealers into shadows so they would follow his orders without complaining. Abra did notice too and grinned.

"Ye ain´t gonna kill me, are y'all?"

"I dunno. I could just stab you hard and that´s it. But the thing is I can´t. Game rules" the doctor was clueless. "Aand I don´t want Legba to win this round so, tell ye what. I am not going to kill you. And am going to take this spell off ye"

"Thank God"

"But that doesn´t mean I won´t hurt you"

"Wait, wha'?" Facilier went pale. He felt his insides going on fire. It seemed that the spell had somehow heard them and was now making the process much more faster but Abra best him. He took out his sword, put it over the doctor´s head and began to sang in a very strange language that Facilier only had read in books of many centuries ago, a language that no men knew but the gods had used for centuries. The pain was excruciating and the black man thought that if his heart wouldn´t blow up from the stress then he would go insane. Finally, a feeling of choking overcame him and sickness took over. The doctor cough and Abra caught in the air a slime made shadow that he crushed between his fingers. The breathing was swallow but good, the pain was finally gone and Abra got up.

"Go home"

"What?"

"Go home. I´ll deal with those shadows" Abra started to walk away with his wolf companion.

"I ain´t goin' home, n'u know that"

"And why is that? You wanna play the good prayer now?"

"That child. Legba said..."

"I know what he said and since you are not leaving, I suggest you to find that tyke. If you do, perhaps I shall reward you one day. But only if she makes it home in one piece"

"Is th'a deal?"

"Indeed. And you know that I always stick to my promises"

"Then, y'all got one, Abra. Just make su' tha' Legba does not eat me tonight n´ye keep that'promise, and I´m yours"

"(Smirk)" Abra walked away. Facilier glanced at his own shadow who was a bit unsure of the whole thing.

"Is bette' to hav' dealings with the devil in hell than with men on earth" he looked around. "Now, where can tha´tyke be?"

"_Shall I go have a look?"_ asked the doctor´s shadow.

"Perhaps is a good idea. She can´t be far. But wha'ever ye do, don´t hurt her. We need her in one piece"

"_You think Abra..._"

"We have no other choice. Now, scram" he sighed heavily. The pain was gone and so was the spell, but Legba was surely not going to be happy about it. His only card to make it out alive was the girl but where was she? Facilier snarled and tapped the ground with his cane. Then, he saw something interesting. Tiny footprints heading for one of the cemetery doors and by the looks of them, they were a child´s and clearly one who wasn´t feeling all right. What if something had happened to her? The Shadow Man then remembered that this are the sacred hours of the spirits and the living tend to feel weak and sick. Perhaps that was why she was walking like that. He had to hurry or else...

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tiana was feeling all dizzy and tired.

She was completely lost and if Abra was telling the truth, she was in danger. The poor girl started to cry. Then from out of the mist, some white spirits passed her by and flew around her. Tia glanced at them, they looked like ghost rabbits or something. The girl felt confused when suddenly all the spirits flew to one single spot and formed a strange figure.

"What are you doing here?" demanded a voice that sounded as if four people were talking at the same time. "What is a living child doing in the place of the dead?"

* * *

Hope you like the changes!

Next Stop: Lost in the Fog


	5. Lost in the Fog

Author´s Note: I have redone the previous chapter and now I´m going to update a few of my fics. I´m sorry to be so delayed but I have been pretty busy with the publication of my book "Moon Noon" so please, do not be mad at me.

We move on!

* * *

**5. Lost in the Fog**

"What is a living child doing in the land of the dead?" asked the strange figure again and only then, Tiana could make out the strange man with four heads, several arms and calmed expression that was looking at her. "You must leave at once or you will never see the sun again. So again, leave now"

"Am lost" she sadly replied. "I dunno where´s my house... Sir. Abra told'me to find Gato"

"… He´s not far from here but please leave at once" one of the hands pointed at an exit and Tiana sighed with relief. Still, her dizziness was getting too hard to handle and she barely a few steps before she passed away. The strange being remained silent, becoming again the ghostly cloud of rabbits who floated towards the girl and checked that she was still alive. Suddenly, a presence made them snarl. A shadow and shortly after, its owner, the Shadow Man. "Leave at once, Facilier. I have been patient enough with you. Now leave in peace or I shall keep your soul forever" the doctor knew that the strange man wasn´t kidding at all. Lama, Keeper of Souls, 'Lord of the Thousand Lives' and Judge of Reincarnation had warned him since the day he made the deal with his Friends. For years, the doctor had ignored him as he came to the cemetery night after night but that one was different. He had to see to the girl and that meant avoiding conflict with the being. The man knelt and softly picked up Tiana in his arms. The poor thing was going cold and that couldn´t be good. A loud screech was heard. The shadows were heading their way.

"I know y'all don´t trust me, and y'all ain´t wrong by doing so. But perhaps this is a good moment"

"…" Lama did not answer. "There´s doubt in your heart, I can tell" it was true. Too true in fact. He had carelessly accepted Abra´s offer to betray Legba but now he felt lost as he remembered the Friends' prophecy that the girl would eventually destroy him.

"Please, I don't have all night" even so, Facilier held Tia close to his chest. Whether she was a menace or not, she was his only way out of the mess.

"Very well, but be warned. If something happens to the child, I´ll go myself and rip your soul like a piece of paper" he disappeared and the Shadow Man found himself in the middle of the mist with the girl still shivering in his arms. Lama was right about one thing, they had to find Gato but to do so, he needed help and only one person could do that. A screech told him that the shadows were still after them.

"C'mon, kid. Snap out of it, we gotta get outta here" he tried to wake her up but it was pointless. "C'mon" he saw a group of five shades coming towards them. "Ow, brother. Just my luck" he breathed deep and stood up. "Friends" he tried to grin but they hissed at him while Legba´s voice bumped inside his head.

**You traitor!**

"Y'all fed me to the wolves n'put a spell on me. We´re even" snarled Facilier. "I can give ye the kid now but perhaps, I´ll keep her for a long while I got better offers"

**Don´t u dare**

"Y'all want me to get souls n'I will gett'em for y'all. But this one, is quite precious to giv'it away so easily, don´tcha think?" he grinned. "Tomorrow there´s a party at Daddy´s place and that is the perfect spot to work. So why don´t we just call'it a day?"

**You think you can offer us something better but we still want that girl. And you too, doctor. You should give her up if you want to live.** A big lump appeared in his throat. What if they were telling the truth? If he saved the kid and that girl would eventually be his own doom? Also Abra and Lama had warned him about doing any harm to the kid. He felt lost. The girl whimpered and Facilier felt her forehead, just great! It was warm, too warm. **Well?**

"I…" he went quiet and Legba snorted. The loa knew that now he was out of reach for a spell like the one before but he did remembered Facilier´s feelings towards Eudora and James so the spirit made the doctor feel them again. The man´s legs almost gave up. He had almost forgot how much he wanted to have Eudora for himself and there was only one way to achieve that. The loa smiled as Facilier got ready to give the girl to the shadows. When it was almost done, another thought snapped inside the man´s mind.

"_Oh, god" Eudora covered her mouth. "Tiana"_

"_I... I" the witch doctor was out of words._

"_Where is she? WHERE IS SHE!?" James was about to jump to Facilier´s neck. "What have ye done to her, you skinny bastard!?"_

Facilier opened his eyes. The look on their faces, the scene of the whole family... A sting of doubt broke through.

"_Legba is not a charming fellow, tell you that" Abra ignored Facilier´s glare. "When they want to burn a house, they don´t care if someone´s in. And you know what? It´s quite ironic for someone who lives from souls to be so careless about getting his skin burnt"_

"_As charmin' as always" the doctor knew that Abra was no hero. The Rainman was mostly a villain like him but feared by so many that he moved from one side of the board to the other whenever he wanted. "Y'all shall run for it"_

"_And then what? You think you can come here, find the girl and get your dear Friends go all merry while I just sit n'watch? I think not" the man snarled and his shadow stood up as a giant one-eyed wolf. "Ye´ve been in MY graveyard and in my territory a lot of times, doc, too many times. Is time to pay the rent!"_

Abra´s voice echoed through his mind. The wolf couldn´t be far and if he was watching, the moment he gave the girl to the shadows, he was a dead man. No matter how much Legba insisted.

"_Go home"_

"_What?"_

"_Go home. I´ll deal with those shadows" Abra started to walk away with his wolf companion._

"_I ain´t goin' home, n'u know that"_

"_And why is that? You wanna play the good prayer now?"_

"_That child. Legba said..."_

"_I know what he said and since you are not leaving, I suggest you to find that tyke. If you do, perhaps I shall reward you one day. But only if she makes it home in one piece"_

"_Is th'a deal?"_

"_Indeed. And you know that I always stick to my promises"_

"_Then, y'all got one, Abra. Just make su' tha' Legba does not eat me tonight n´ye keep that'promise, and I´m yours"_

"_(Smirk)" Abra walked away. Facilier glanced at his own shadow who was a bit unsure of the whole thing._

He could feel the loa in his head saying over and over but he finally made up his mind. A soul like that couldn´t be given away so easily and he needed answers. Why was that child a threat and how come she would destroy him? Legba screeched through his thoughts making him wince.

**Pathetic human.**

"Y'all don´t give me much choice. This is not just bout y'all, is it? Is about Cait and all the High Spirits. Should see that comin' when I saw the cat. In this feud of yours, am just a pawn so let´s see. If y'all let me go now, I shall leave ye to yer business and c'est tout. I shall catch more souls tomorrow..."

**You ain´t leaving, doctor.**

"Then, it´s option b. I see who has the biggest card on the table and then, we´ll see"

**Give us the girl or we´ll skin you and have your soul for us.**

"That´s a good one but I have a better one and guess what. It only takes the girl getting home" Facilier waited no longer and headed for the opposite direction. The shadows screeched and lunged towards him. He knew that now he had officially sealed his doom but Abra had made a promise and he always kept his bows. The man crossed the streets until another group of shadows catched them up and kicked the doctor to the ground. Tia was shivering even harder and Facilier knew that he was running out of time. He thought about Odie, who had teached him all he knew and took him in when nobody else in the world wanted. He always had the feeling that they were somehow related but the old woman always denied it and said that he couldn´t get distracted by thoughts like that, but still. There was something there, he could felt it. When he turned to his Friends, she was sad, more than sad... Odie was disappointed and worried, very worried. But why? He was just a random boy, someone who had turned her down, why was she so concerned? So angry? Each of their duels had a pathetic side, a mother scold side and yet, in those blind eyes there was sorrow. She wanted him back. Facilier had asked her but Odie did not answer, in fact, she said that he was distracted again by things that weren´t important. A lie? He had even asked the Friends but the loa had just said that Odie had never loved him and that he shouldn´t worry about that. But that doubt had rooted deep into the man´s mind. Why was he thinking of her now? Was it because he also wanted a family? Someone to hold on to? The man took off his jacket and covered Tia with it. "And finally, I have gone around the bend" he snorted and glanced at his shadow. "Watch over"

_Master, they´ll..._

"Y'all been complaining all night. Now do somethin'useful" he got up and snapped his fingers, making a purple flame appear on his palm. When the shadows reached their hiding place, he stroke them hard and was able to take down at least six of them before he felt his strength starting to slip away. His vision wavered and his legs shook hard. If another group like that attacked, they would be a perfect target.

_Master_... Shadow touched his shoulder, sensing his tiredness. _We have to get out here, now. You are far too weaken._

"… How´s the kid?" he kneeled and felt Tia´s forehead. "We need to get to Roxie now or else..." a loud shriek was heard.

_We cannot outrun them._

"No, but we are not far from Rox´s, c'mon!" Facilier picked up the girl again. His knees gave out but he didn´t let go. Shadow helped him up and they walked the streets until they finally saw the hanging sign of the shop. "Just a little bit more" a shade stroke from behind and the doctor hit the ground, his vision swimming. Tiana was still with him but he couldn´t fight back with her in his arms and he was too tired. The shadows looked pleased. This was going to be too easy! Facilier could almost hear Legba´s guwaff inside his head when a loud meaow echoed through the streets. The shades looked around. A pair of golden amber eyes shone in the dark and the spirits wavered back. Before anyone could move, the creature snarled loudly, jumped through the street and tackled down to oblivion all the shadows. The man sighed. It was Gato and they were finally safe. One of the spirits snarled and before it vanished, the shadow flew across Facilier´s chest like an arrow and the doctor felt heavily on the street. Gato glanced at him with his big eyes and let out a loud meow. The shop´s door opened, someone walked out and kneeled over Facilier. At first, he saw a blur vision of Abra´s face but when he blinked, he was staring at the gentle and gorgeous expression of his friend, Roxanne, the only herbalist of the French Quarter and the only person around who dared to let the doctor in her house and perhaps, in her bed. "Roxie..." he choked, his world was going dark and cold while his chest felt like a big chunk of ice about to break.

"Why is it tha' I always find ye in trouble, hu?"

"I dunno" he shivered hard and glanced at his shadow who was lying beside him like a rag doll. "Please, I... she..."

"Chsssshhhht. Don´t speak, Facy. It´s all right. I got ye" the man closed his eyes. Roxanne sighed and shook her head gently before carrying both inside the shop. The girl did not looked too bad, Gato actually examined her in two minutes. Tia was just tired and cold, nothing too serious. Thank God. Roxie did knew Eudora and James, and was sure that they would like their baby doll back. Facilier was another story. That last shadow had reached his heart and the man was going cold as hell. Roxie knew that in the end, Legba would forget about all this, as they needed Facilier to get souls but for now, it was vital to keep the doctor´s heart pumping. The woman covered him with a blanket and used some of her herbs to make a special brew but she knew that now it was up to the man to stay alive. Gato let out a short meow and rose an eyebrow. "He´s a big baby but real strong. Will wake up shortly or at least, he better" she pointed at his shadow who was beginning to move. "Ye heard me, ye stick in the mud. Get up or I´ll get you up painfully" this comment made Gato snicker.

For a long while, Facilier was lost into the fogs of his mind until he finally heard again Roxie´s voice and slowly opened an eye. Gato was curled over his chest but seeing he was awake, the feline jumped to a nearby chair. He painfully tried to remember but his throbbing head was not making things easier for him so he lied back and rested for a few moments before the woman came in.

"Hi"

"Hi, Facy. Did ye know that ye´re nothin' but trouble?"

"So I guess" he breathe in slowly and glance at his friend. "Wait. Where´s the kid? Where´s...?"

"She´s fine, you bone head. Asleep and fine. And since when do you go all Good Samaritan, hu?"

"I ain´t doin' this for her, am just savin' me own skin"

"Whatever you say" she put a wet cloth over his forehead. "And to do so, ye had to anger the loa?"

"Long story"

"Sure thing. Where are ye exactly going?"

"I ain´t sure. To the kid's home, I guess"

"And do you know where that is?" Roxie rose an eyebrow.

"Sure, it´s... It´s..." Facilier stopped dead. Wait, why was that spot in his mind gone all white? How come he didn´t remember? "Oh, fuck"

"Not a clue"

"It´s not that. I did knew but, I can´t remember. My head´s gone all foggy" had Legba punished him by making him forget that? "Just me luck"

"Maybe it´s just an impression but I think you don´t remember just that detail"

"Whadda y'all mean?"

"Hmm. Do you remember where your emporium is?"

"Are y'all kidding? It´s in... in..." oh oh. "Noo"

"Told ye"

"That wretched, big..." wait. If he couldn´t remember that, then... "Don´t..."

"Amnesia, Facy"

"Hehe. Very funny. But why would...?" it felt as his memories kept slipping away little by little. "And..."

"Hmm" Roxie gently leaned her forehead on his. "Well, ye did angered them"

"Yeah, but..." he tried to concentrate. "Wait, hold the phone. I remember that when they send off, Legba gave me part of his magic and put a spell on me and... Oh, crap"

"Maybe it´s just a theory but perhaps, since ye did not get them the kid, Legba is draining the magic he gave ye and your memories with it since the moment that shadow flew through your chest. I dunno, maybe I´m wrong"

"No, it has sense. But then, if I don´t give them the kid, then I´ll... I´ll forget everything. Grrr. Why can I have a decent night for once?" he got up and almost felt down. He leaned on the counter and sighed.

"Facy, don´t even think about it. Ye ain´t giving them the kid"

"And why is that?"

"Her parents are good friends of mine and I won´t let ye"

"Roxie, I... My memory´s going all blank and my only chance is..."

"No"

"Look, I ain´t got all night. I..." his eyes then went to his shadow who glanced at him. "Please... Am bout to forget who I am, Rox"

"Just take her home and I promise I´ll help ye"

"Ok. Y'all win" he nodded in defeat. "But..."

"I´ll write a note so ye never get lost, even if you don´t remember"

"Thanks" he sat down on a chair and sighed again. "What if I lose everythin'? I cannot remember where my home is. Am..."

"Will ye just shut yer gub?" she gave him a kiss. "Is going to be fine. Ye're the Shadow Man, remember? The coolest cat in New Orlins. Besides, Gato will make sure that ye guys get home safe"

"Thank y'all, darling" he smiled.

* * *

Bad omen, folks.

Has Legba really taken away the doctor´s memories?

What other dangers await in the night?

Next Stop: Empty Streets


	6. Empty Streets

Author´s Note: Moving on with the skeletons of Cirque du Soleil´s Kooza and the song "The Greatest Show on Earth" as we walk down the streets with Gato. Facy´s in big trouble and the shadows aren´t their only threat out there. Watch it, lads!

* * *

**6. Empty Streets**

Tia looked around. It took a few moments before she could recognize the place as Roxie´s shop, where Eudora bought medicines from time to time. She felt relieved to be there but just when she was about to go find the woman, Tia saw the Shadow Man resting on the counter. He looked very tired and had fallen asleep.

Her first instinct was to run. James and Eudora had warned her each day against this character and yet, he seemed so small in that instant. The Shadow Man looked anything but scary, as if all his spooky features had been swepped away, leaving a fragile, lanky bone man. The little girl swallowed and touched the man´s arm just to make sure that he was real. A soft moan escaped the bokor´s lips and a few seconds later, he lazily opened his eyes. The purple ones met the brown. They both stare at each other for a few seconds before a shadowy hand clasped around her mouth to prevent the coming shriek.

"Don´t even think 'bout it" he grumbled while rubbing his soared temples. "I already hav'a headache so y'all be quiet, understood?" Tia nodded and Shadow let her go. The girl looked at the weary man. "Mmmh" he let out another groan. "Anyway, if y'all awake, then we leave"

"I ain´t going anywhere with you, Mr. Shadow Man. Yo´re bad and mean"

"Huhuhuhu" he chuckled.

"Mamma says you're bad news"

"Oh, really? Well, guess what? I have just saved yer life, little princess" the man snorted. "And y'all comin' with me"

"NO! Am not" she hid behind the counter and he hissed with fury.

"Listen, kid. I ain´t got time to play. We gotta go NOW!"

"No!"

"You little noisy..." Facilier then saw Roxanne glaring at her from the door. "Ough! I hate kids"

"Talking to her like that won´t do, ye know?" the woman kneeled near Tia. "Hullo, sweet toes"

"Hello, Mss Rox"

"Did the bad old meany Shadow Man scared ye?" said Roxie and the girl nodded. The woman smiled ignoring Facilier´s murderous eyes. "Is okay, hon'. I won´t let'im hurt you"

"Why is he here?"

"He´s an old friend of mine, love, but he won´t lie a finger on you. He´ll be good to you"

"He says he saved me"

"Yes, he did. Facy ain´t nothing but a big wuss puss, babe. A big, bad Tigey-Wigey"

"Roxie, please. We don´t have time for games, I..." Facilier could felt again his memories slipping out of his hands. "We gotta go! NOW!"

"All right, all right. Listen, Tia. Facy will now take you home, OK?"

"But he´s bad" the girl whimpered.

"I know, baby cakes. But Gato will make sure that you get home safe. And Facy is going to be a good boy tonight, right, Facilier?" Roxanne gave the man a glare.

"(Huffs and puffs) All right, but if that kid..."

"Just try to be nice for a change. Adiosito!" she walked them to the door.

Once in the streets, Tiana walked at least five paces from the Shadow Man who tried to ignore her as much as he could, while Gato walked between the two. It was obvious that these two were not going to get along.

"Do y'all know where your house is?" he decided to ask aloud but Tiana did not answer. "C'mon, kid. If y'all don´t tell me, I can´t take ye there"

"I ain´t telling ye" she grumbled. The cat rolled his eyes and let out a soft meow. "I want my mamma"

"If y'all say so. Y'all lucky to have her"

"…"

"And don´t pretend am not here cuz it won´t work" they both went quiet for a few seconds. "I won´t hurt ye as long as y'all behave"

"I don´t like ye"

"(Sigh) Listen, kid..."

"I ain´t kid. Am Tiana"

"Tiana, okay then... Tiana, I ain´t doing this cuz I want. I just wanna get ye home and that´s it. And back to my things"

"Back to being bad"

"Why do ye...? Why is so bad 'bout me anyway? I just wanna be alone and do my stuff but, no! Everyone says I had to be hunted or caged or whatever. Ye kids know nothing"

"Daddy says..."

""Forget 'bout him for a while, ok?"

"No"

"(Snort) Why do I even bother?"

"People say you killed you family"

"That I wish, I would remember them that way" something in his voice made Tiana looked at him. "But I don´t. I hardly knew my parents, I have nothing I can call family"

"…" Tiana could not tell if he was telling the truth but he really sounded hurt. Gato said nothing and kept on walking. "Then, you didn´t"

"Course I didn´t, darling. I lost ma old man when I was four. I hardly knew voodoo back then"

"But people..."

"Forget 'bout them" their eyes met. For some reason unknown, while staring at her, he began to remember certain things. Lost in the city, as a kid he ran into the bayou searching for a new life. His father had died, he had never met his mother so he thought he could find her or at least, find a new one or live by himself. But little did he knew about the dangers of the swamp and it didn´t take long before a gator decided to have a child for his first meal. He cried and struggled for endless minutes until Odie found him and saved him. He spent three days with fever and bleeding bad. The old woman never left his side and when the boy finally woke up, Odie gave him something to eat.

"You ain't got the sense you was born with, child. Tha'gator could have eaten y'all!" the voodoo queen stared quietly at the boy. "Why are y'all in a place like this? Y'all shall go home, back to town"

"I... Ain´t got a home, ma'm"

"Really?"

"Daddy´s gone, I ain´t got a mother and am alone." he admitted. The pain of the injuries made him cry. "Please, don´t make me go back! I will die!"

"…" Odie went quiet. Something about him had rang a bell. "Is okay, child. No one´s gonna hurt ye" she smiled and hugged him gently. "But if I let y'all stay, I gotta know your name"

"Facilier. Is Facilier"

"Then is a deal. Now sleep. Y'all should gettin' some shut eye if you want to build up your strength" she tucked him in and he quickly felt asleep. Odie remembered then that she had seen the boy stealing in the streets of New Orléans for food. He probably had gotten himself into trouble and decided to go into the bayou. "Sweet dreams, ma little man. And fear not, no shadow will chase y'all tonight" she gave him a small kiss and went to bed herself.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Facilier smiled to himself when the memory settled back into his mind. Odie gave him a home, something like a family. Maybe the people was right about a few things but he would have never hurt Odie back then. And perhaps, somehow, he still missed her. Tiana was looking at him now so the man resumed his walking and they both stayed quiet for a while.

"Dad says people are scared of things they don´t know" this comment made Gato and Facy smile.

"Guess they do. And y'all, little princess? Are y'all afraid?"

"A little. Do you really make skeletons dance and steal souls?"

"I ain´t telling y'all that"

"Why not?"

"Cuz I say no. Besides, y'all won´t understand"

"Am very smart"

"Yeah, right. Y'all just a tyke" he ignored the girl´s glare. His shadow did seemed nervous though, why was he acting like that? "N'what´s the deuce with y'all, hu?" it didn´t answer but instead, glided away without an apparent reason and Facilier felt as he was being teared apart. "Stop, stop, stop! What the hell are y'all doin'?" his head was also a turmoil. The shadow seemed then to realize and flew back to his master.

_Master... Please forgive me. I dunno what has just happened. For a second, it was like I felt the need to fly away and..._

"(Deep breath) Whadda y'all mean?"

_I felt weird. As if I had went wild or something._

Facilier went quiet. If that was happening, that could only mean that with the loss of his memories, he also lose control over his shadow and perhaps other things. They had to hurry. Tiana was quiet but could tell that something was very wrong. The man´s shadow had looked scarier than usual for a few seconds and the Shadow Man´s expression showed a real big pain. Maybe that was why he was in such hurry, because something terrible was about to take place. Tia touched the man´s shoulder. He tried to pushed her away but she stayed where she was. Gato moved his ears, he was even more conscious of the possible consequences of this chain of events and so, the feline decided to make his move. With his left paw, he drew out a claw and draw a small symbol in the man´s lower shoulder. Ignoring his sudden gasp of pain, Gato focused and a few seconds later, it was done.

"Meow" he moved his tail gently.

"Find a mouse, y'all fur ball!" Facilier grumbled. His shadow was again acting strange and after some trashing and pulling, it broke free and flew away. The witch doctor felt to his knees and almost threw it all there. "Now, look what y'all done!" he could feel as if all his magic had disappeared. "Shadow! Shadow! C'me back, don´t go! Don´t go!" Facilier shouted over and over but for a long while, there was no answer and the man felt defeated. "Don´t go..." the doctor pressed his forehead against the ground until a rather cold-touched hand was on his shoulder. The man was speechless.

_You ok, Master?_

"…" Facilier brushed away his tears and smiled. Shadow had came back and looked even better than before. It was like if he was now able to stay a little more further from him and was more hid herself a little behind Gato. "Better than ok. Ready for this?" the shade nodded and the man stood up. His head was aching but less than before. Whatever the cat had done, it was surely something good. "C'mon, we better move it" Shadow took his usual spot and the girl looked at the man. "I said, go. C'mon, kid!"

"…" Tiana looked very unsure and scared.

"T'is all right. C'mon" he kneeled and looked into her eyes. Something about them rang in his head but the doctor pressed that thought to the back of his mind. "The sooner we get movin', the sooner y'all be home" they resumed their walk. Facilier looked at the cat and said with just his lips. "I owe u" Gato smiled and they went on until a familiar sound was heard. The feline growled and Facilier stopped Tiana by putting an arm before her.

"What now?"

"Chhssshhht. Be quiet"

"But..."

"Be quiet!"

"Just because you so?"

"Listen, kid, if y'all ain´t quiet, I´ll..." the sounds suddenly stopped. "What the..."

"Well, look who´s here, boys" a freezing voice said and Facilier´s blood ran cold.

"Our old friend, the Shadow Mongrel"

"And he´s with a little friend" oh-oh. The Klan! "I suppose you start training them early. No matter"

"Or maybe he kidnapped her" this was getting bad. Gato glanced at the roofs and jumped up. Facilier understood and looked at Shadow who nodded.

"Gentlemen, am sure we can talk this out. We are men of high positions" spoke the bokor.

"You maybe, once you're hanged" they started to laugh.

"I think I already told y'all bout my Friends, they wouldn´t like it if something happened to me"

"Hear this dog´sbark, gents? He thinks himself important!"

"If y'all call this a day, I shall spare you the pain"

"What pain, bozo? You ain´t getting out of this night alive!" they grabbed Facilier from his necklace while Tiana was hiding behind him. "And that little lassie will follow!" Tia whimpered and the doctor held her gently in a comforting way, something he had never done to anyone before.

"T'is ok, princess. No one´s gonna hurt u"

"Don´t make promises you can keep" they were ready to take him but before they could react, Shadow glided over his master´s head with Tiana in his arms and threw her into the air. The girl screamed until she was catched by Gato who ran through the tiles like a lightning bolt leaving the Klan behind. Facilier took that chance to disappear too. They had outrun them for now, but the doctor knew that now there was someone else looking for them and that could only mean danger. What none of them saw, was a strange looking man on top of one of the buildings who grinned and disappeared.

* * *

OMG

Sorry if it took me so long but I´m busy as a bee.

Anyway, so nice to be back.

Enjoy!


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